


Restlessness

by Katiebug445



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Fluff, M/M, canonverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:49:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29233317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katiebug445/pseuds/Katiebug445
Summary: Armin can't sleep, Jean decides to help.
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Jean Kirstein
Kudos: 30





	Restlessness

Toss. Turn. Toss. Turn. Turn. Sigh. Give up. **  
**

Armin stared up at the ceiling, resigning himself to another long, sleepless night. He wished he had a candle with him, and maybe a book to keep him occupied; laying in the dark with nothing to do except listen to his own thoughts would get to him after a little while, he knew, and he didn’t like being awake and not being productive.

It wasn’t his fault exactly that he was having trouble sleeping lately. With everything that had happened recently - between finding out that their two biggest threats were comrades, plus the identity of another shifter shortly afterwards; the commander losing his arm; and the memories of being the only thing standing between life or death for Jean Kirstein - one couldn’t exactly expect him to rest easily.

When he closed his eyes, he could still hear and see the titans closing in around them, him clinging to Jean for dear life, trying to protect him and make sure they both survived, the worry that he was already too late to save his friend, and knowing that there was a very high possibility that he could fail… All of it came back to him in the quiet hours like this. All of it sent him into a panic that left him wide awake and shaking through the whole night.

Armin swallowed, trying to shut off the flood of thoughts before they overtook him completely, closed his eyes for a second to rest them. When he opened them again, he turned over onto his side, and bit back a scream when he saw another pair of eyes staring right back at him.

“Jean!” he whispered, clutching his chest. “You scared the hell out of me.” He had no idea when the other boy had woken up, or even that he’d been the one beside him when he laid down, but he couldn’t say he was entirely upset about it.

The other boy propped himself up on his elbow, his cheek resting in his hand, and watched him for a moment. “Can’t sleep?” He replied.

“No.” Armin replied, shifting just a little so he was staring back. “Haven’t really been able to since…”

“Since I almost got us both killed.”

That was another thing. When Jean had come to and told what happened, he’d been blaming himself for being stupid, and almost getting them killed. Armin had tried reasoning with him, promising that what happened was in no way his fault, but Jean wouldn’t hear it no matter how many times he begged him to listen. “It wasn’t your fault.” He said again.

“Wrong.”

“Jean..”

A moment’s pause, the shifting of fabric, and then Jean was even closer to him, and wore an apologetic look on his face. “Sorry. Now tell me what’s up with you.”

Shaking his head, Armin said nothing at first, just propped his own head up while he thought. “I just… can’t get it out of my head. I keep seeing it. Them. Closing in. Worrying if you were already dead, or if we’d…” He swallowed, cutting himself off, and willed his hands to keep still. The last thing he needed was for the other boy to see how afraid he still was.

Jean exhaled, wishing he knew how to make things a little easier on Armin. He hated that he’d been the one to cause all of this, that Armin had to keep swooping in to save his own stupid ass every time something went wrong. “Your brain is way too big. You’ve gotta find a way to shut it off now and then.”

“Would you like to suggest how I do that?”

Without another word, Jean reached over, gently petting Armin’s hair, trying not to take note of how soft it was when he was able to wash it, or how the blond closed his eyes at the contact and actually leaned into the touch, or how he let out the softest of sighs when Jean stopped momentarily, letting his palm rest flat against the back of his head. He really, really tried.

“S-Sorry.” He said, pulling his hand back.

“No,” Armin muttered, sliding his hand up out of his blankets and guiding Jean’s own back to him. “It didn’t bother me.”

“My, uh, mom… she used to do this when I couldn’t sleep.” He explained, not exactly sure why he was trying so hard to justify himself. “I… don’t know. I thought…”

Armin’s eyes fluttered closed as Jean continued messing with his hair, and pressed himself flush against the other boy after a moment. He let out a soft hum as the other boy’s fingers carded gently through the ends of his hair, making him feel more relaxed than he had in weeks, and his lips curled up into a gentle smile. “Thank you.” he whispered.

The taller boy paused for a second, looking down at Armin with confusion clear on his face, and was about to ask what he meant by that when he noticed the blond’s breathing had evened out. After a moment, Armin grabbed a tight fistfull of his shirt and after a little bit longer, swung a leg up over his hip. Jean breathed a laugh and wrapped an arm around Armin’s waist, holding him close and secure, and finally drifted off himself.


End file.
